1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a land grid array (LGA) connector assembly which comprises an LGA connector and a pick-up cap mounted on the LGA connector for providing a plane surface to be engaged by a vacuum suction device, whereby the LGA connector assembly can be moved onto a circuit substrate such as a printed circuit board (PCB) on which the LGA connector is to be mounted.
2. Description of the Prior Art
On many production lines, electronic components such as land grid array (LGA) connectors are accurately positioned on circuit substrates such as printed circuit boards (PCBs) by means of vacuum suction devices. Such an LGA connector typically comprises an insulative housing, a plurality of electrical contacts received in the housing, a metal clip pivotably mounted to an end of the housing, and a lever pivotably mounted to an opposite end of the housing for engaging with the clip. The clip has a generally rectangular window in a middle thereof. Each contact has a first contact portion protruding outwardly from an upper surface of the housing, for electrically connecting with a corresponding metal contact pad of an electronic package such as an LGA central processing unit (CPU) that is received in LGA connector. Because of this configuration of the LGA connector, a pick-up cap has to be pre-attached on a top portion of the housing. The pick-up cap has a generally rectangular body. Typically, a plurality of latches depends perpendicularly from sides of the body. The latches snappingly engage with corresponding sidewalls of the clip, thereby mounting the pick-up cap onto the LGA connector. The pick-up cap has a plane top surface exposed through the window. A vacuum suction device can accordingly engage on the top surface of the pick-up cap, in order to reliably move the LGA connector and accurately position it onto the PCB.
However, during attachment of the pick-up cap onto the LGA connector or detachment of the pick-up cap from the LGA connector, the latches of the pick-up cap are liable to hit the first contact portions of some of the contacts and displace those contacts. The displaced contacts may not reliably contact the corresponding metal contact pads of the CPU, and electrical connection between the CPU and the PCB is liable to be disrupted. In addition, because the latches depend perpendicularly from sides of the body, it is difficult for a user to manually release the pick-up cap upwardly from the LGA connector when the pick-up cap needs to be detached from the LGA connector.
Thus, there is a need to provide a new electrical connector assembly with a pick-up cap that overcomes the above-mentioned problems.